flame bright

the naked flame,
beside me
flickers in the night


each breath l take threatens it,
my out breath hovers,
undecided whether to nourish it
or kill it


an old tune warms the room
nostalgia washes onto the pillow
a freeze frame of a golden moment
haunts the senses


shards of a new day,
of expectations not yet taken to root
but seeded deep in the dampness


I rise to the challenge,
keeping the flame bright
feeding it
just as it burns away


another hope,
another dream,
l shiver, I tremble,
while you watch
from a far,


I hesitate, I breathe


don't extinguish the flame
not just yet...

l need you